Why did you start cruising and why is it good for you?

It seems this board is a mix of different types of folk so I just wondered about it.

I started cruising because my love of two things:

1) The ocean and boats - I spent a lot of my childhood in southern Devon where the seas and coast is stunning. My family always used to take me around the bay of Brixham and Torbay in boats and I was impossible to remove from the sea without an argument when swimming. I still adore swimming and spend a lot of time in the water. I have been known to swim in the North sea when its not summer.

2) Different places in one holiday - Most of my favourite holidays as an adult always involved jumping around different cities and countries in one trip but unpacking a lot or lots of road journeying . I looked for a holiday that made this easier.

You put those 2 things together and cruising becomes your best option. Due to family and finances I have only been able to cruise in the last 2 years (I was supposed to go on a honeymoon cruise 4 years ago but ended up spending my money on wedding things).

How about you guys?

I was hooked on cruising before I had a choice. I was about three when my mother took me on my first cruise (no remembrances, alas).

Now I love cruising because it is so relaxing. Unpack once and your "hotel" takes you to your destinations. Everything you need is a short walk away onboard.

Started on an Oldies Music Cruise, and it's good for me because it keeps me off the roof with an automatic weapon!!!:cool:

I've always enjoyed living near the water, even near the lakes in Wisconsin where we lived for three years. It was snowing upon our move to WI, and a few weeks into winter we stopped into a travel agency and said "get us out of here!"- and booked our first cruise! The TA who booked us remains one of my best friends... :)

My first cruise was with a girlfriend about 35 years ago, and honestly I don't remember much about it, so obviously it wasn't great in any way, but also wasn't bad. My next cruise was solo, a graduation gift about 30 years ago.....I remember some of the bad things (sitting alone at a table for 10 when the other members, all in one family, missed embarkation), but I also remember I enjoyed the days at sea. Third cruise was about 10 years ago with my family to Alaska, also a gift, and had a great time....Still, I thought the cruising experience really wasn't my thing - short stops in ports didn't ever let me feel I'd really been there. However, I did like the times we were at sea, and found it beautiful and calming.

So, remembering my experience of days at sea, in 2013 I took a transatlantic cruise with 8 days at sea, and it was just perfect. In fact, I loved it so much, I'm taking a transpacific this fall with 13 sea days and only one port stop.

I don't think typical cruising is the right type of vacation for me, but those unusual cruises with lots of sea days and minimum port stops are perfect for calming relaxation - which is a type of vacation trip I like to take occasionally.

I always thought turquoise blue waters were to exotic and I wished I could visit some of those places someday. Cruising makes it very affordable to go to these places. I never thought I'd be able to snorkel the reefs in Belize but I did! :)

Also it's a fairly affordable vacation, relaxing, relatively safe. Also I love he ocean and ships and all things nautical.

Back in 2009, I wanted to take a fun but budget-friendly trip for my birthday. It was down to a weekend in Disney World or a cruise. I had never really considered a cruise before, and liked that I could sail leisurely to a warm location in January!

From day 1, I was hooked! You can visit so many places without having to unpack; your vacation can be as adventurous or as relaxing as you want; you don't have to put too much thought into where to eat; and there's nightly entertainment.

I love cruising so much, my husband and I got married on a cruise, then took a separate cruise honeymoon!

I like to take two to three cruises a year when I can. I do take some land vacations, but most of my longer trips are now are cruises.

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Many years ago, when I was young, I always had the "ultimate" vacation/trip image of a round the world cruise. I had never been on a cruise, nor had any of my family. The closest I had been to cruising, ever, in my life was returning from Europe with my military father and mother after WWII. And that was on a troop carrier, not really cruising :rolleyes:

Anyway, the dream trip sort just faded in time.

In early 2007 we had an opportunity to take a Panama Canal 15 night cruise for a (what we deemed) a good price. So we booked it. No experience with cruising for either my husband or me. And those of our friends who had done cruising told us "You really shouldn't book a 15 night cruise for your first one".

As it turns out, on boarding day (2008, yes we booked that far out) everything was fine, until I started up the gangway. Then I grabbed my husband's arm and squealed "WE'RE GOING ON A SHIP!!!!!!"

Suffice it to say, we were hooked by day 2 and haven't looked back.

I can't really tell you what it is that got us, but we currently have 4 different cruises booked in the next year. With plans for at least 2 more following those.

We had a houseboat on a lake when I was growing up and I LOVE being on the water. I wanted to try the ocean too.

I grew up watching The Love Boat and always wanted to cruise, but didn't get to take my first until I was 33.

It works for me because I love seeing different places without worrying about getting from point A to point B and not having to drive or fly or worry about hotels and meals is awesome. I love to just relax on the balcony and watch the waves.

A very long time ago when I was "Sweet 16" my HS senior class took a weeks trip to Florida which included 3 Nights on the old SS Bahama Star.

A the time I said I was going to marry someone who could take me on lots of cruises. Fortunately, turns out I did! :D

LuLu

When we were planning our wedding during 1998 and 1999, DH and I made a deal. I would take care of everything wedding-related and he would handle the honeymoon. DH's best friend's wife owned a cruise travel agency, so he cheated (LOL) and "hired" her to handle the honeymoon. She booked the plane tickets, the pre-cruise hotel, and a RCCL cruise. It took me about an hour being on the ship and I was hooked!

I keep cruising because I love being on the ocean and the feeling of total freedom from life's responsibilities. For me, it is pure bliss and total relaxation.

Why I started? Was always curious and just wanted to try it. I love the ocean and thought it would be a great fit.

Sure enough, a cruise is the only time I totally slow down and relax. I am constantly busy throughout the year and a cruise is truly the only time I veg out and do nothing. Theres just something about the ocean and serenity of it all. Plus a little rocking at night, makes the best sleep there ever is for me!!

Why I started? When I got married in 74 I had wanted to have a nice honeymoon at a hotel. My husband planned it and we ended up in a cabin in the middle of no where where I cooked and cleaned for the week. I made him promise that on our 25th anniversary I could decide what we were going to do to celebrate. 25 yrs. later I decided on a cruise. I had always wanted to go on one and this was going to be it. My husband tried very hard to convince me that it would be more romantic to go back to that rustic cabin in the woods. My answer...he could go there but I was going on a cruise. Good thing he decided to come with me. It was a 12 night cruise from Vancouver to the Hawaiian Islands. I had to drag him up to the ship but on the 2nd night he came back to the cabin with brochures saying that there were other cruises we could go on.

We have although not as many as I would like. I have to find the money first.

I love it because someone else cooks for me (married 40 yrs and I still cook and clean for 5 people) and cleans my room and serves me. I am happy on the ship although we have seen some really neat places. This next cruise with my 2 sons I will be staying on the ship on at least 2 of the 4 stops and maybe a 3rd as well. I have been to these ports many times and don't feel the need to do anything. The others (we are also going with my sons friend and his Mum) will be doing things as they haven't been there before.

tigercat

I'm an aviator (pilot) not a mariner, but I was always intrigued with ships, but my parents could not afford the time/cost to travel to Italy for our annual one-month trips there.

So, I eventually gave it a try on my own when I was 27 (1985), with a dear friend on the Costa Riviera out of Fort Lauderdale to the Eastern Caribbean.

Costa did a great job (they were not owned by Carnival then). We got a free tour of the galley and engine room, and you have not seen or heard an engine room until you have been in a steam turbine one!

My friend and I one night ventured up to the starboard bridge wing (not closed off), and an officer invited us in for a personal tour!

I really got hooked, and the defining moment was on my third cruise in August 1992 on QE2, just a 5 night cruise to New England / Canada. In the library / book shop I bought John Maxtone-Graham's book, "The only way to cross" and started reading it, and was captured by it. I could not put the book down.

On the last night of the cruise we hit the rock outside of Martha's Vineyard, history was made, we had to be evacuated 24 hours later in rough seas, and I was hooked! Imagine that!!

I had already read John's book by then, and the die had been cast.:D

I started as a toddler

Fell in live with it in 1977 during a cyclone I was stuck in

It was fun for me

I grew up on boats since a baby so love water plus I am a dancer and therefore can support my two lives on a cruise

Water and dance

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We have always traveled and never even considered a cruise until.........

In thinking about a long flight back home from Sydney I decided to see if I could find a cruise. That's all it took, shortly after embarkation I was hooked. :)

I drive coaches throughout the UK, and in previous years all over mainland Europe. For the last three years I have been doing a regular run between Plymouth, Devon and Eastbourne, Sussex. This involves going through Southampton on a regular basis.

Up to three years ago, we had no interest whatsoever in cruising, but the more I was watching the ships, and the more recommendations from passengers I was carrying, and then one of my work colleagues went on Independence...... getting the drift??

Last year we had some PPI money back, which was far more than expected. We were determined to do something special for our 30th wedding anniversary, must be something that does not include me driving (which is my job) and my wife suggested a cruise. Without hesitation, the day after we went into our local travel agents and made some enquiries, three days later we were booked (and paid in full) on Independence for June this year.

Yes we were nervous, will it be too posh for us, will we fit in, are we doing the right thing, and so on. The first day or two we were both a little overwhelmed by it all, but loved it. We both agreed however that 14 nights was a bit too long. This a personal view on both of us.

We enjoyed our holiday so much that we are planning a biggie family holiday next year. Taking the kids and grandkids to see a certain mouse at his home in Florida next year, a holiday that has been in the planning stages for a few years, now we are going to add a cruise on the end of it. Will be either Freedom or Oasis.

Wish we had started our cruising adventure years ago, but very much looking forward to future cruises. To anyone who is thinking about their first cruise, GO FOR IT.

We cruise because it is the most civilized way to travel.

For years we did tons of land vacations all over Europe, England, Hawaii, etc. via plane, train, bus, car. I got sick of living out of a suitcase for 3 weeks at a time.

I finally convinced DH to try a cruise -- see new ports -- unpack just once. He loved it and we have done over 140 cruises since then.

I made him promise that on our 25th anniversary I could decide what we were going to do to celebrate. 25 yrs. later I decided on a cruise. I had always wanted to go on one and this was going to be it.

LOL- you are one patient lady, waiting 25 years to get your choice! I'm glad your DH is now on the same page with you.

DH and I chose cruises for exploring Alaska because there was so much that was best seen from the water. We weren't interested in mega-ships with casinos and fancy-dress dining and rock-climbing walls, so we chose a small ship with a laid-back atmosphere, focused on nature. We went in 2012 and loved it so much we went again a couple of weeks ago. I'm a detail freak and a worrier when it comes to travel and it's SO nice to board a ship and know the captain and crew are taking care of everything and I don't have to worry about how long the TSA line will be or if we'll miss our connection or if the hotel has lost our reservation.

Having said that- I'm not sure if we'll cruise again. We loved Alaska and may do a land trip (combined with the ferry system) in the future. The HS class one year ahead of mine is talking about having a reunion on a cruise ship in the Caribbean next year. It's likely the type of ship DH and I have always shunned, but if it's not too expensive I may go on my own just to see what it's like.

Our first cruise was an eleven day cruise to Hawaii. It was to celebrate our 30th anniversary and we had many family members scheduled to go with us. For a variety of reasons, it ended up being just my wife and me. Best vacation ever. Period. We loved the sea days and ports, we loved NOT having internet and being away from everything. It was so relaxing we booked a B2B to the Caribbean. That vacation was amazing!

We enjoy a week at the Outer Banks each summer (35+ years now), but those vacations are simply not as relaxing as cruising. We are completely hooked, and now have three more cruises booked.

Someone with whom I worked kept tallking about her cruises, how much fun they were, do a lot, or do nothing, etc. I suppose I wanted to see for myself what was so great about it since I'd never tried one. I mentioned this to "the man" who had been on 2 in the 90s and he told me to book a short one out of NYC (we are in NJ). Carnival Victory 4 nighter to Canada. Walked off the ship when we got back and I said something to the effect of "that was great, let's do it again." and the cruise fanatic in me was born.

Have gotten my whole family into it, a friend or two, and the next generation cruise fanatic is alive and well in my 5 year old nephew who has already cruised 6 times and loves it too. He was asked if he wanted to go to DisneyWorld or on a cruise and he thought for a second or two and said "BOTH!" LOL

I agree with those who call it BLISS. Really, on a balcony with a book and choices of whatever activities are offered or doing nothing. . . perfect, perfect.

Our first was Alaska - a "cruise tour" on Holland America. (They now call them "Land and Sea".) In those days, you could go all the way to Prudhoe Bay / the Arctic Ocean. It was great. Week on land, week on ship.

Why I loved it: someone else made all the arrangements. One reservation, a few excursions, and we were DONE. I'm the family travel agent, and last year was a two-week cruise followed by 6 weeks in the British Isles: multiple trains, a flight, multiple rental cars, and TOO many B & B's to think about!

Sometimes the family travel agent needs a rest. And there are things you cannot do otherwise: sail to and from Hawaii, do the Panama Canal, and next year - South America and the Antarctic.

But the best thing is being stuck in one place with no one to focus on other than the husband. Life DOES get in the way, sometimes. And on a ship, the other annoyances are gone. It's about us!

After we retired, a cruise, 'sampler' was listed, we tried it.

We heard years later that a person seldom takes a single cruise! Too right.

john

In 1950, I wanted to book a cruise. Went to a TA, obtained a price, put myself on a $1.00 per day budget! Was able to train to MSY, met my room mate, Ken, and we had a great cruise. Down "ole Miss" to Havana, then to British Honduras ( now Belize), and Guatemala City, on the Contessa.

Went to work for an airline, married, children, flew on passes, then in 2000, my wife and I took the inside passage to Alaska. Booked a small balcony suite, and the Upgrade Fairy took over, and we had the most expensive suite, other than the owners. WOW. So continued to fly.

Wife died in 2010, took a while, but in Dec 2013, cruised on the Navigator to the Western Caribbean. Had more fun in this week, than I had the previous three years.

So took another in May, 2014, now am booked for a Nov 9 to Jamaica Cozumel and the Caymans. Oh, yes, I have a hip replacement, hard to walk, use a walker, am 86, and looking forward to 2015. :-)